Speaking to Miraya FM the SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum said that twenty thousand people are suffering from different forms of slavery.

Slavery in Sudan dates back to the 18th centaury and was abolished by Governor-General of Sudan during the British colonization in 1923. But the practice returned during the North-South civil war in 1955.

On his message on international day for the abolition of slavery, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon says an estimated number of 27 million people fall victim of this atrocity.

He added that, there is an emergence in contemporary forms of slavery, such as the sale of children, dept bondage and human trafficking.

The UN Secretary General further says, the global economic crisis could exacerbate this already alarming situation, as poor people are likely to be driven further into poverty, making them more vulnerable to slavery-like practices.